PROGRESSIVE SEBASTOPOL 2014 VOTER'S GUIDE LOCAL and STATE

[sandoak]

Are you kidding?

My family has only needed to visit an emergency room four times in the last 10 years. The first 3 times we went to Palm Drive. The 4th, since Palm Drive closed, we chose to tough it out.

We need an Emergency Room right here in town. And for people west of town? Depending on time of day and traffic conditions, having a closer ER can be life-saving.

...but wouldn't a critical care or triage center work about as well to stabilize urgent patients before getting them to an emergency room? And of course a lot of stabilizing goes on in the ambulance too.

[peggykarp]

Re Progressive Sebastopol now endorsing YES on 45. Just heard on the radio that the NO on 45 campaign has reached $30 million...and counting. Biggest contributors are the health insurance companies.

Good short article in LA Times from Monday: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-...020-story.html

Follow the money....

[Richard Nichols]

Thanks for the info. I wondered about urgent care or ER.
Sorry, nothing to be done about the e-shouting from certain quarters.

Speaking as a seasoned RN, I can tell you unequivocally an urgent care center does not equate with an emergency room. I have been following this thread with interest and as an aside, reading text in bold feels like e-shouting to me, although it felt appropriate to write the issues themselves in bold text...

[eyemusic]

Does Progressive Sebastopol have an advice for the Judgeships?

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Good question. They are running unopposed; either vote for them or not. We looked at this at our meeting and did not have sufficient info so just took a pass; no endorsement. If anyone has any strong opinions please post them here and share :)

Thanks,
Jonathan

[pamelaL]

Thanks for the info. I wondered about urgent care or ER.
Sorry, nothing to be done about the e-shouting from certain quarters.

well, I doubt there will be more e-shouting now feedback has been given - and I maintain that
the possitions in bold seemed quite appropriate; however, I suspect there really is nothing to be done about comments only intended to inflame and ridicule, which I find immature at best, and sad.

[Richard Nichols]

The positions are appropriate from an opinion point of view, but not all that based in reality. As for e-shouting, I DON'T LIKE IT, SO THERE!

well, I doubt there will be more e-shouting now feedback has been given - and I maintain that
the possitions in bold seemed quite appropriate; however, I suspect there really is nothing to be done about comments only intended to inflame and ridicule, which I find immature at best, and sad.

[Kai Daniel]

From the people I've talked to (and I've talked to a lot of Sebastopol residents going door-to-door the past 3 weeks) most of them want a hospital emergency room open. Anyone who says otherwise is misrepresenting the majority of all the people I've talked to. Some people say it is not financially possible and or that the city council has no role or jurisdiction with Palm Dr. ER.

I would agree that the city council has no legal mandate to help, but I know it has the ability, and in my opinion the obligation. City council may not have predesigned jursidiction, but they could set a president and make it their jurisdiction. Jonathan Greenberg suggested subsidizing city managed water and sewage to the hospital, that would help. Anything to make opening the hospital easier.

OH yeah I just remembered. WE ARE GOING TO PAY THE TAX REGARDLESS (sorry for shouting) and correct me if I'm wrong here, but does it make sense to pay for a service we can't receive? No. I'd rather keep paying and have the service.

[Gus diZerega]

I also am a fervent supporter of the emergency room, and the one time I used an emergency room, it was the one at Palm Drive when I had a stroke. That was in 2008.

Another reason, probably mentioned below as well, is that in a major quake Santa Rosa will be hit hard and its medical facilities will have their hands full over there, if they are not destroyed by a quake. It is only prudent to keep one over here, and if that takes money, well, it's money that will turn out to be very well spent when the time comes, and it will, we just don't know when.

Gus

Hi, Marty! I'm a supporter of opening the emergency room, of re-opening Palm Drive. As you know, I live at Burbank Heights & Orchards, a low income senior community. There are about 200 folks here. I'm not sure how many go to Kaiser or the other HMOs but as a Medicare/Medical recipient my health care comes from the West County clinic in Sebastopol. When in less than two years I suffered six internal bleeds, one of which nearly killed me, Palm Drive saved my life. I can't put it any more clearly than that.

[Peacetown Jonathan]

I feel the same way as Pamela, Gus and Sandoak, and just about everyone I speak with in our community. The earthquake article was a shocker.

The most important reason to vote in this election is to elect Colthurst and Powers, to create a Palm Drive District Board majority that will restore an emergency room to our community.

[Jim Wilson]

On two occasions friends of mine used Palm Drive Hospital and received excellent care. One of those occasions involved calling an ambulance. Closing Palm Drive represents a great loss to our community. And it is also a loss to greater Sonoma County, for the reasons Gus indicated. I think that the County Board of Supervisors should be just as interested in maintaining Palm Drive as the Sebastopol population and the City Council of Sebastopol. Palm Drive is a significant asset for all of us for many reasons.

[John Eder]

The population of Sebastopol comprises approximately 13% of the residents of the Palm Drive Health Care District. It would seem that logic would dictate that the County Board of Supervisors, with their greater resources and staffing, should be the lead agency in any external intervention in the matter of the closure of Palm Drive Hospital (assuming that it was requested, of course). The hospital is a District resource/asset, that happens to be located within Sebastopol. With their responsibility for 85%+ of the district's residents, most of whom are located in West County and along the Russian River, the County is in the best position to do the most good for the greatest number of people.

[farmerdan]

John,

How about if we all do our part?
The County, the City, the doctors, the citizens, the donors, the Foundation, the district, the volunteers?

While the district is clearly much bigger than the city, the city gets the advantage of 200 high paying jobs, a hospital right in town and help for Sebastopol police and fire while only paying 15% of the taxes. Not a bad deal I would say!

I like your statement 'if it is requested.'
Seems like you know someone who could make a request, how about asking her?

Farmer Dan

... It would seem that logic would dictate that the County Board of Supervisors, with their greater resources and staffing, should be the lead agency in any external intervention in the matter of the closure of Palm Drive Hospital (assuming that it was requested, of course)...

[haammer]

I'd like to remind everyone that Measure M needs a countywide 2/3 majority to pass. The M folks are doing a great job of spreading the word, but I think we should all do a part and speak to as many people as we can - especially those who live in other corners of the county. Do you know anyone who lives in Windsor, Guerneville, Forestville, Sonoma, Cotati, Graton, Occidental.... etc?

This will be a great triumph for our community when it passes!

[Shepherd]

I agree with haamer. It is very important to promote and vote for Measure M.

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Check out the funny kids at end of this minute long video.

Love Your Library? Vote Yes on Measure M was produced by Progressive Source Communications as part of our pro bono work to benefit the Restore Library Hours Campaign.

I agree with haamer. It is very important to promote and vote for Measure M.

[farmerdan]

Jonathan,

Great video!

Check out the funny kids at end of this minute long video.

Love Your Library? Vote Yes on Measure M was produced by Progressive Source Communications as part of our pro bono work to benefit the Restore Library Hours Campaign.

[Kai Daniel]

It's almost election day, and the bottom of this thread is pretty far from the top, so here's the downloadable voter guide PDF once again.
Cheers
- KD

[Peacetown Jonathan]

Thank you Kai, for reposting, and for becoming part of Progressive Sebastopol this year.

Ours is the only endorsement guide this year with the independence to challenge the incumbents (like Jim Horn), and their actions (like the error prone marketing of Measure R's four new taxes), on behalf of the people of our community.